Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-02-12
UPON THE DEEP.
EXPERIENCES on A TRIP ACROSS
THE PACIFIC.
Living in Floating Castles Amid Sun
shine and mountaineering OBJ
servations by the Way.
Especial REooRD-UNIos Correspondence.

On BOARD STEAMSHIP GAELIC,
PACIFIC OCEAN, January 2, 1887.
Tine first morning at sea one is apt to feel
out of sorts with everybody and everything
and to call the unhappy feeling homesick-
ness, but if the weather prove to be at all
boisterous before he has found his sea legs
he will find that his heart has less to do
with him in the case than his stomach, and
learn to his chagrin that homesickness on
the ocean is simply stomachic Fremont
ton. The round horizon joins the sea and
sky, with nothing to break the regularity
save now and then, at rare intervals, when
the gray sail of some ship or bark appears,
which, if she comes near enough to show
her signals, proves an infinite source of in
terest. Oftener, however, the voyager has
to turn his attention to the little world
on which he lives, and full of interest is
! that little world, which follows its course
almost as perfectly as any star above us.
| Life on board steamer has been described
| again and again, but the steamer itself has
| too often been forgotten and remains to the
| imaginations of those people who have
never had the opportunity of seeing fine
vessel, such as the good ship Gaelic, on
| board which now write, a sort of monster,
| quite as dim and awful as any which stalks
through the pages of medieval romance.
THE SHIP IN WHICH WE SAIL.
Not being in the least nautical, shall
not use any unintelligible references to such
curtailed words as "to'gallant u " 70 ard"
or even " fo'castle." l will describe min
utely with landsman's eyes, though
hope not TO go SO far as to call the good
oaken deck above me the roof. My room is
marvel of convenience, combined with the
necessary economy ofspace, and as / sit COM
fortably in one corner of my wicker lounge,
with my books about me and friendly
photographs on the walls am filled with
a real home feeling. The sound of sew
ing machine in neighboring stateroom,
and some one soliloquizing" on q flute,
tell me that | am am notalone the one who
forgets that few inches of iron is all be-
tween time and eternity. The room is ten
by eight On the right is my berth, with
easy wire mattress and feather pillows; on
the left, a long lounge, above which
hangs the mirror between two port
holes. Opposite to me is the wash
stand, which fills from q faucet, shelves
for toilet cases or books, and generous sup
going togs quite out of danger of becoming
prematurely wrinkled. The remaining side
gives space for fixed chair and the door
which admits to this cosy nest. From the
center above hangs an opaque globe con-
tanning an electric light which | can turn
on or off at any hour after dark by press
ing the button near it; three electric bells
complete the list, though l must not forget
the chintz bed curtains or the pretty carpet,
each adding its particular quota of good
cheer. Sixteen rooms, more or less, with
similar furnishing, open into the long hall
ways The doctors room, with strange
labeled bottles, is miniature apothecary's
shop, full of cures for all our ills, but
with a
VERY SUGGESTIVE QUANTITY OF ANTI-BII.-
IoUs MEDICINES.
On this floor" are several luxurious little
bathrooms. with tubs cut from single
marble blocks. Ascending a fight of
stairs, that Mecca of all well-constituted
voyages, the dining saloon, invites you
with its gay array of glass and
plated chandeliers. In this room
is a piano and the well-stocked library,
while in the lockers are games of all kinds,
most formidable array to do battle against
monotony. At night eighteen electric
lights send a glow over all. Leaving the
dining-room and turning to the right, the
pantry, with its rack-esconced porcelain,
gives a glimpse through the sliding window
of the wonderful kitchen, with seven cooks,
not, however, so many as to spoil the broth;
whose huge and little copper kettles nestle
together on the long cooking range, behind
the iron fence which keeps them within
bounds when Neptune is up to any of his
pranks. Poor Neptune can find very little
g.,
everything is prepared to make his little
Jokes fall fiat and turn the laugh back on
the Joker To the left are lavatories and
a bar, and steps which lead to the home
like smoking-room, through the sound
windows of which fresh breezes full of life
carry away the stale memories of Manila
or Havana, as well as many cobwebs from
the brain.
Such is the home establishment on board,
but complete as it is, the full enjoyment of
all its pleasures depends. as it does on land,
upon the character OF the little family which
inhabits it. How white and smooth and
assuringly strong the decks look, too hon
est for paint or canvas coverings, where
two. mile walk, in pleasant company, will
give such al appetite for dinner as to make
a wise man proud, and a fool ashamed of
the animal in his nature.
CHRISTMAS AT SEA.
The night before Christmas 1 opened an
enormous box which was stored in the
steerage, and was greeted with such merry
wishes from its contents of crimson berries
and green leaves as to fill me with quite
proper holiday spirit. There were hum
dreds of clusters enough to adorn the
whole ship, and saloon, state-rooms, halls,
the officers mess, even the engines and the
steerage were visited, and when the sun
rose Christmas Day he found in the mid
Pacific the very berries which he had
learned to know and watched ripening
through the autumn among the laurelS
and oaks at Menlo Park. Neither had the
charmed mistletoe been forgotten, and
branch which had been growing. these
many years for the fair maidens of Napa
found its place of duty in the companion
wav, where il withered in sheer despair, for
our only lady passenger was accompanied
by her lord and master. Poor, pltled
mistletoe. like life unfulflled, life with
high aims unattained, it hung there defect
edy and uselessly, only reminder of i'm
possibilities. "Sueh is Kismet," it seemed
to say, but answered sadly, There is no
Kismet - but accented the word as if it
were French. We had tempting egg-nog
in silver bowl in the forenoon, in lieu of
services, and some fortunate ones received
presents lEOul TlenuS Tie
Captain assured us had been just brought
on board. Three weeks at sea is not long
time by any means, and one learns to. en-
10y thoroughly the little things of life, and
finds himself surprised constantly at the
little excitement healthy mind and body
requires.
i ship is something like the attic OF an
old house in its fund of everything unex-
pected. Of course our one lady passenger
ought to have corsage bouquet for wear
ing to dinner on such an suspicious day
it would be rather difficult thing to OBJ
tain after week at sea, but after little
search, bouquet of roses, violets, smilax,
and maiden-hair rewarded the searcher,
the conventional plum pudding and turkey
were not put to the blush by so unconyen-
tional an event as lady at Christmas
dinner without bouquet. The dinner
was quite grand affair, and broadened my
knowledge of marine culinary architecture,
| for the display of jelly lighthouses, ships
and frosted monuments was something
| quite undreamed of.
| The safe where all the treasures of fresh
| flesh, fish and fowl which daily tickle cur
1 pala+aS is stored is worthy of all regard